NCT05612646

The Effect of Acupressure in Improving Constipation Among Inpatients in Neurology Departments

Taiwan Taichung Veterans General Hospital

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 128 (actual)
• Sponsor: Taichung Veterans General Hospital · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 20 Years – 80 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

As a form of non-invasive auxiliary care, Traditional Chinese Medicine acupressure can prevent constipation, reduce medication for constipation, save medical costs, and alleviate constipation among inpatients in neurology departments, as well as improve patients' general ease and comfort of defecation, thereby improving their quality of life. It also provides clinical nursing staff with a more effective, safer, and more comfortable auxiliary method of preventing constipation, and can be used as a reference for the nursing of such patients.

Detailed description

Background: Constipation is a common problem among geriatric patients and in neurology departments. However, using stool softeners and enemas yield only temporary effects and may even lead to alternating constipation, diarrhea, and metabolic disorders. Because of its non-invasive nature, Acupressure can be used as adjuvant therapy of integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine to prevent constipation among inpatients in neurology departments. It is necessary to verify that Acupressure can be applied to avoid and alleviate patients' constipation, improve their comfort, and improve their quality of life. Objective: To explore the effect of Acupressure in alleviating constipation among inpatients in neurology departments.Method: A randomized controlled two-group pre-test and post-test experiment design were adopted in this study; neurology department inpatients were randomly assigned to either the experimental group, which comprised 64 subjects receiving Acupressure on three acupoints (Tianshu, ST25: Stomach Meridian 25; Zhongwan CV12: Conception Vessel 12; Qihai CV6: Meridian Vessel 6) or the control group which comprised 64 subjects receiving routine nursing and fake Acupressure. The research tools included the Bristol Stool Form and Constipation Assessment Scale.

Conditions

• Constipation

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
PROCEDURE	Acupressure	The patients assigned to the experimental group received acupoint massage designed to improve constipation for 7 days during hospitalization. The selection of acupoints in this study includes "Tianshu (double)" (Tianshu, ST25: Stomach Meridian 25, the 25th point of the stomach meridian), "Zhongwan (single)" (Zhongwan CV12: Conception Vessel 12, the 12th point of the Ren meridian) ), "Qihai Point (Single)" (Qihai CV6: Meridian Vessel 6 Renmai 6th point) 3 points.
PROCEDURE	routine nursing and fake acupressure	control groups: receiving routine nursing and fake acupressure to improve constipation for 7 days during hospitalization.

Timeline

• Start date: 2020-09-11
• Primary completion: 2022-10-24
• Completion: 2022-10-24
• First posted: 2022-11-10
• Last updated: 2023-05-09

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Taiwan